John F. Kennedy Airport
The plane that had taken off from Great Britain Landed in New York City without incident. The passengers stretched slowly. Most had been sitting for a long time. Over sea flights seemed more tiring than over land flights. Was it the length of time they took, or the fact that for most of the flight all you saw below was a span of endless blue? Maybe it was neither, or maybe it was both. Or maybe it didn't really matter at all. Gathering their things the passengers made their way of the plane.
One passenger remained seated until the cabin was practically empty. He then stood grabbed his bag from the over head bin and head for the exit. The terminal was still filled with people reuniting. The passenger ignored them. He made his way around a pair of lovers into the flow of people moving towards the baggage claim. He only had to wait a few minutes before his small blue suitcase appeared on the conveyer belt. Then he turned to find his ride. She wasn't anywhere to be seen. Probably running late as usually.
The passenger was used to her being late. He couldn't remember an occasion were she hadn't been behind schedule. It was amazing she was still alive. After all the time she's screwed up because of her tardiness to some thing of other. Why she hadn't been let go was beyond him. But he still admired her for her courage. The task she was under taking was no small feet. Not that he believed she's come out of the following events alive. Hell, he was almost concerned about his ability to come out alive.
"You going to stand there, Riley," a voice said. "Or you going to come on so we can get to work."
Riley turned towards the sound of the voice. She stood there leaning on against the wall. "Nice to see you, too, Mother."
Xavier Mansion- 4 days later
Diana had awakened with the sense the something was wrong. The sense had been getting stronger all day. Now she sat at the back of Ororo's history class feeling almost nervous about it. Nervousness wasn't normal for her. Neither was fear, and truth was she was afraid, too. She left a few minutes before the class ended and head towards her room. She was almost there when she noticed someone was following her. For a second she prepared to attack, but since there were children in the mansion she decided against it.
"Stop following me," she said turning.
It turned out to be Rogue. "Are you alright?"
Diana didn't really want to talk about it. "Yep."
"You don't seem alright," the girl replied.
"Well I am," Diana said. "How long were you following me?"
"I was in Storm's class. I came looking for you after we got done."
Diana shook her head. "Following me is a good way to get skewered."
"I didn't really think you would hurt me," Rogue said. "Besides, I was making plenty of noise."
Apparently thinking in this house was best done in ones own room. "Just don't do it again, ok? Now run along."
"You sure you don't want to talk about whatever is bothering you?"
"You're the only thing that is bothering me," Diana said.
"Alright," Rogue said. "But if you change your mind, I'm free."
"Sure kid."
Diana watched the kid walk away. She sighed. There were certainly to many people around for her liking. She also wasn't fond of the fact that there were children around. Tigera would most likely use it to her advantage, and hostage situations were not her specialty.
"You just going to stand there all day?"
"I'm getting sick of people doing that, Wolverine," Diana turned. "So don't start with me."
"You've been out of it all day," Wolverine replied.
"Forget it. Suddenly I'm hungry," Diana started walking towards the stairs.
"Forget what?" Wolverine fell into step with her.
"Nothing," Diana replied. "Just shut up about it."
"Cy was right, you are acting funny today."
"And how would Cy know if I was acting funny?" Diana retorted. "No one here knows what's normal for me."
Wolverine didn't reply until they were almost to the kitchen. "So why don't you tell me what's normal."
"Maybe I don't want to." Diana stepped through the door to the kitchen and stopped in he tracks. Grey was sitting at a counter eating a sandwich.
"Well, why not? Wolverine asked stepping in behind Diana. "Oh, hello Jean."
If Wolverine hadn't followed her she'd of turned and left right then. But he had, so she went over to the large refrigerator. Diana didn't pay any attention to the conversation that went on behind her. When she turned around after finishing making her sandwich the two weren't in the room. The only person there was Professor Xavier.
"Jean has a class, and Logan went to the gym," the professor said.
"Oh," Diana replied taking a bite into her sandwich.
"There is someone I want you to meet," Xavier said. "A new arrival to our school."
Diana put the sandwich back on the plate and followed the professor down the hall towards his office. The door opened for them. Diana stopped. A young man was standing there facing them. A young man she hadn't seen since he was only a small boy.
"Riley," Diana went into the office "What are you doing here?"
"I ran away, Aunt Di," Riley replied.
"What about your mother?"
"She doesn't know where I am."
Like hell she doesn't, Diana wanted to say, but she kept bite her tongue.
"Well, Riley," Xavier said. "You are more than welcome to stay here."
"Thanks," Riley replied smiling.
Rogue watched the new guy from the bench in the garden. The rumor was that he was related to Diana. She wasn't too sure about that one though. No one was sure what his power was though, or if he even had any. At least he was great to look at.
He turned towards her. Rogue was startled and tried looking away before he noticed she was staring at them He came over to her. Rogue smiled slightly suddenly wishing she was somewhere else.
"Rogue right?" he said.
"Yeah," she replied. "Um, I was never told your name."
"Riley," he smiled.
They sat in silence for a few minutes.
"So, um," Rogue didn't really know what to say to him, so she just blurted out the first thing that came to her mind. "Are you really Diana's nephew?"
Riley laughed slightly. "No actually, I started calling her Aunt Di when I was little. She and my mother were friends."
"Really," Rogue replied, then she suddenly couldn't think of anymore to say.
Wonderful, Scott thought. Another dinner. Jean had been eating in the kitchen since what was being called by the students 'The Cat Squabble.' But tonight he had convinced her to eat with them. Rogue was eating with Riley and some of the other kids. It was kind of weird not having her there, but no one really seemed to be paying much attention.
"So Riley," Scott said. "You said you flew in from London."
"Yeah," Riley replied. "I was studying at a theatre there."
"You're an actor?" Ororo asked.
"No, I'm actually a sound tech," Riley replied. "I want to work at a major theatre someday."
"Why are you here, Riley?" Diana put her fork on her plate.
"Someone told me you were here," Riley said.
"Who?" Logan asked.
"I can't say," Riley looked at Diana. "But you know who I'm talking about don't you Aunt Di."
"Yeah, Riley," Diana said. "I know who you are talking about."
"Do you think this is going to work, Tigera?" Sabertooth said.
"Of course it'll work," Tigera replied shifting her position in the tree outside the gate of the Xavier Mansion. Tigera watched as Animalia and Riley walked along the garden together. "He knows what he is supposed to do."
"But what if he blows it." Sabertooth stood on the ground looking up at Tigera
"He isn't stupid like some people working on this project. Now shut up before you cause me to fall out of this tree."
"All I'm saying is that if he slips they'll know that we're still here."
"She already knows that we are still here," Tigera said. "That doesn't matter. We just have to give him a chance to kill them, and then we'll all just disappear."
"But," Sabertooth said. "If we screw this up the boss will be very anger."
"Then we won't screw it up," Tigera said.
There was a noise suddenly from an approaching car. Sabertooth made a noise. Tigera looked down as he jumped behind the tree. Unfortunately he caused it to shake. She tried to hang on to a branch, but couldn't. She managed to keep from screaming when she fell. Sabertooth somehow managed to catch her.
"See what you did, you big lug," Tigera said as he put her down. "Thankfully, my son isn't like you."
The plane that had taken off from Great Britain Landed in New York City without incident. The passengers stretched slowly. Most had been sitting for a long time. Over sea flights seemed more tiring than over land flights. Was it the length of time they took, or the fact that for most of the flight all you saw below was a span of endless blue? Maybe it was neither, or maybe it was both. Or maybe it didn't really matter at all. Gathering their things the passengers made their way of the plane.
One passenger remained seated until the cabin was practically empty. He then stood grabbed his bag from the over head bin and head for the exit. The terminal was still filled with people reuniting. The passenger ignored them. He made his way around a pair of lovers into the flow of people moving towards the baggage claim. He only had to wait a few minutes before his small blue suitcase appeared on the conveyer belt. Then he turned to find his ride. She wasn't anywhere to be seen. Probably running late as usually.
The passenger was used to her being late. He couldn't remember an occasion were she hadn't been behind schedule. It was amazing she was still alive. After all the time she's screwed up because of her tardiness to some thing of other. Why she hadn't been let go was beyond him. But he still admired her for her courage. The task she was under taking was no small feet. Not that he believed she's come out of the following events alive. Hell, he was almost concerned about his ability to come out alive.
"You going to stand there, Riley," a voice said. "Or you going to come on so we can get to work."
Riley turned towards the sound of the voice. She stood there leaning on against the wall. "Nice to see you, too, Mother."
Xavier Mansion- 4 days later
Diana had awakened with the sense the something was wrong. The sense had been getting stronger all day. Now she sat at the back of Ororo's history class feeling almost nervous about it. Nervousness wasn't normal for her. Neither was fear, and truth was she was afraid, too. She left a few minutes before the class ended and head towards her room. She was almost there when she noticed someone was following her. For a second she prepared to attack, but since there were children in the mansion she decided against it.
"Stop following me," she said turning.
It turned out to be Rogue. "Are you alright?"
Diana didn't really want to talk about it. "Yep."
"You don't seem alright," the girl replied.
"Well I am," Diana said. "How long were you following me?"
"I was in Storm's class. I came looking for you after we got done."
Diana shook her head. "Following me is a good way to get skewered."
"I didn't really think you would hurt me," Rogue said. "Besides, I was making plenty of noise."
Apparently thinking in this house was best done in ones own room. "Just don't do it again, ok? Now run along."
"You sure you don't want to talk about whatever is bothering you?"
"You're the only thing that is bothering me," Diana said.
"Alright," Rogue said. "But if you change your mind, I'm free."
"Sure kid."
Diana watched the kid walk away. She sighed. There were certainly to many people around for her liking. She also wasn't fond of the fact that there were children around. Tigera would most likely use it to her advantage, and hostage situations were not her specialty.
"You just going to stand there all day?"
"I'm getting sick of people doing that, Wolverine," Diana turned. "So don't start with me."
"You've been out of it all day," Wolverine replied.
"Forget it. Suddenly I'm hungry," Diana started walking towards the stairs.
"Forget what?" Wolverine fell into step with her.
"Nothing," Diana replied. "Just shut up about it."
"Cy was right, you are acting funny today."
"And how would Cy know if I was acting funny?" Diana retorted. "No one here knows what's normal for me."
Wolverine didn't reply until they were almost to the kitchen. "So why don't you tell me what's normal."
"Maybe I don't want to." Diana stepped through the door to the kitchen and stopped in he tracks. Grey was sitting at a counter eating a sandwich.
"Well, why not? Wolverine asked stepping in behind Diana. "Oh, hello Jean."
If Wolverine hadn't followed her she'd of turned and left right then. But he had, so she went over to the large refrigerator. Diana didn't pay any attention to the conversation that went on behind her. When she turned around after finishing making her sandwich the two weren't in the room. The only person there was Professor Xavier.
"Jean has a class, and Logan went to the gym," the professor said.
"Oh," Diana replied taking a bite into her sandwich.
"There is someone I want you to meet," Xavier said. "A new arrival to our school."
Diana put the sandwich back on the plate and followed the professor down the hall towards his office. The door opened for them. Diana stopped. A young man was standing there facing them. A young man she hadn't seen since he was only a small boy.
"Riley," Diana went into the office "What are you doing here?"
"I ran away, Aunt Di," Riley replied.
"What about your mother?"
"She doesn't know where I am."
Like hell she doesn't, Diana wanted to say, but she kept bite her tongue.
"Well, Riley," Xavier said. "You are more than welcome to stay here."
"Thanks," Riley replied smiling.
Rogue watched the new guy from the bench in the garden. The rumor was that he was related to Diana. She wasn't too sure about that one though. No one was sure what his power was though, or if he even had any. At least he was great to look at.
He turned towards her. Rogue was startled and tried looking away before he noticed she was staring at them He came over to her. Rogue smiled slightly suddenly wishing she was somewhere else.
"Rogue right?" he said.
"Yeah," she replied. "Um, I was never told your name."
"Riley," he smiled.
They sat in silence for a few minutes.
"So, um," Rogue didn't really know what to say to him, so she just blurted out the first thing that came to her mind. "Are you really Diana's nephew?"
Riley laughed slightly. "No actually, I started calling her Aunt Di when I was little. She and my mother were friends."
"Really," Rogue replied, then she suddenly couldn't think of anymore to say.
Wonderful, Scott thought. Another dinner. Jean had been eating in the kitchen since what was being called by the students 'The Cat Squabble.' But tonight he had convinced her to eat with them. Rogue was eating with Riley and some of the other kids. It was kind of weird not having her there, but no one really seemed to be paying much attention.
"So Riley," Scott said. "You said you flew in from London."
"Yeah," Riley replied. "I was studying at a theatre there."
"You're an actor?" Ororo asked.
"No, I'm actually a sound tech," Riley replied. "I want to work at a major theatre someday."
"Why are you here, Riley?" Diana put her fork on her plate.
"Someone told me you were here," Riley said.
"Who?" Logan asked.
"I can't say," Riley looked at Diana. "But you know who I'm talking about don't you Aunt Di."
"Yeah, Riley," Diana said. "I know who you are talking about."
"Do you think this is going to work, Tigera?" Sabertooth said.
"Of course it'll work," Tigera replied shifting her position in the tree outside the gate of the Xavier Mansion. Tigera watched as Animalia and Riley walked along the garden together. "He knows what he is supposed to do."
"But what if he blows it." Sabertooth stood on the ground looking up at Tigera
"He isn't stupid like some people working on this project. Now shut up before you cause me to fall out of this tree."
"All I'm saying is that if he slips they'll know that we're still here."
"She already knows that we are still here," Tigera said. "That doesn't matter. We just have to give him a chance to kill them, and then we'll all just disappear."
"But," Sabertooth said. "If we screw this up the boss will be very anger."
"Then we won't screw it up," Tigera said.
There was a noise suddenly from an approaching car. Sabertooth made a noise. Tigera looked down as he jumped behind the tree. Unfortunately he caused it to shake. She tried to hang on to a branch, but couldn't. She managed to keep from screaming when she fell. Sabertooth somehow managed to catch her.
"See what you did, you big lug," Tigera said as he put her down. "Thankfully, my son isn't like you."